Jessica N. Jackson knows that the statistics about teenage mothers are grim: Two-thirds will not graduate from high school, and only 1 percent will earn a college degree before age 30. She beat those odds, and has devoted her efforts to helping other young mothers forge their own success stories, too.

Jackson, who became pregnant at age 16, went on to graduate from Rickards High School and earn a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in public administration from Florida State University — all while raising her daughter, Travia Gallon. After building a successful career in nonprofit management, she decided to launch her own nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that teen moms achieve their dreams.

“I had to find my way and I struggled a lot sometimes,” Jackson said. “I’ve benefited from a really great village of people who have made my success possible, and I want to provide that same support to other women.”

Each year in March, as part of Women’s History Month, The Oasis Center for Women & Girls recognizes local women who have rewritten history by blazing trails. This year, Oasis is debuting the Unsung Shero Award, which has been established to honor the behind-the-scenes contributions women make to help create a better world for us all. Jackson has been chosen as the inaugural recipient of the Unsung Shero Award for her enterprising efforts to support young mothers.

Jackson is the founding director of Keep Empowering YourSelf (KEYS), a nonprofit organization aimed at helping young mothers develop a variety of abilities, including entrepreneurial skills. Currently, she is designing workshops to assist co-parents in improving their communication and parenting skills.

Entrepreneurship can transform the futures of teenage mothers, Jackson said. Since 2009, she has run her own business, J. Nicole Signature, which provides a variety of services to clients, including event planning, branding consultation, and workshop facilitation.

“If you can empower young women through innovation and enterprising, you can change their lives and their children’s lives,” she said.

Jackson also helms another entrepreneurial venture with a product that’s close to her heart: Pies. She bakes and sells sweet potato pies and other desserts made according to her grandmother’s recipes. Her J. Nicole Signature Teeny Pies were featured last month on the WCTV Good Morning Show.

Jackson said that her ears and her pullout couch are always available for young women seeking guidance. Others often turn to her for help dealing with problems, finding resources, and talking through their options for their careers and their lives.

“A lot of young people just want to be listened to,” she said.

Faith plays a central role in Jackson’s life. She is the youth director at Mount Zion Primitive Baptist Church, and teaches Sunday school classes. Last year, Jackson directed many of her church’s young members in a production at FSU’s Moore Auditorium of a play she wrote, “A Higher Praise.”

Of all Jackson’s professional and personal accomplishments, she said that motherhood is her greatest achievement. Travia, who is a senior at Lincoln High School and an accomplished young musician, is creating her own path to success with her mother’s support and encouragement. Jackson said she is especially proud that Travia was selected to attend Black Girls Rock! leadership camp in New York City for three years.

“I’ve overcome many challenges along the way so my daughter can be exactly who she wants to be,” Jackson said. “She gets to be a lot more carefree that I was, and I love that.”

Celebrate Jessica Jackson at the Women’s History Month Community Luncheon today at the Lively Café at St. John’s Episcopal Church from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Written by C.E. Hanifin for The Oasis Center for Women & Girls, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to “improve the lives of women and girls through celebration and support.” Hanifin is a volunteer at Oasis and a freelance writer and editor. You can contact Oasis through Haley Cutler, Executive Director, at 222-2747 or haley.cutler@TheOasisCenter.net. www.theoasiscenter.net.